On Saturday morning, I finished writing my questions and designing the slides for the LGBT panel, before heading off to the convention. Our hotel was located just a block from the Javits Center, on a refreshingly quiet street. Unfortunately, it didn’t have a Business Center. So while I worked my booth, Bud took my PowerPoint file off to Kinko’s to print copies.
Good thing he did, too, because when it came time to set up the room for our panel, we could not get the file to project correctly onto the screen. Fortunately, I’m used to things going wrong, so I began to introduce the panelists while the technical team worked on the computer’s resolution settings. I looked out at the audience for the first time and couldn’t believe my eyes; we had a full house, and standing room only in the back! (I later learned that people were even turned away because the room had reached capacity.) I never expected such a turnout. The audience applauded each of the panelists as I introduced them, and as I launched into the questions, the technical problem resolved. The hour flew by way too fast, and we only had about 7 minutes left at the end for audience questions. The panel was a resounding success, and I plan to do it again next year. I just need to get the organizers to give us a larger room and more time!
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